Spirit Serpent Posture

The blood-activating medicinal bath was indeed effective.

Rest for a day.

Qi Yu arrived at the Spirit Serpent Martial Hall again the next morning.

Seeing him arrive as promised, Song Qinghong led him to the inner room, above which was written "Skill Transmission Chamber."

As for the "Training Grounds" outside, it included a training courtyard, a training arena, and a martial arts stage. By early morning, more than two hundred disciples were already practicing punches and kicks in the light snow, tempering their bodies.

The Training Grounds were spacious and rugged. The courtyard was made of rammed loess, with basic equipment like iron rods, stone locks, and stone blocks scattered around. In the corners were wooden post formations and water vats. The arena had cowhide sandbags, blood-activating medicinal wine, and so on...

The Skill Transmission Chamber was only entered when Song Qinghong was transmitting skills, and disciples were called in.

It was much more solemn here.

Carved windows, dark brown wooden floors, curling incense smoke from the offering table in the center, and an ancient painting on the back wall depicting a long snake coiled in the grass, appearing poised to strike, as if both still and moving, ready to pounce.

"No sandbag training today," Song Qinghong said concisely. "Young Master Qi is likely here to strengthen his body, so we'll start with posture training. If you grasp the essentials, you can practice at home even if you don't come here anymore."

Qi Yu asked, "What about for combat?"

Song Qinghong observed him, seeing his determined expression, and then said, "That also starts with posture training. The Ninth Rank Leather Armor Realm has only two steps. The first step is to activate and nourish the blood. Once the blood is active, it can be used. If successful, your blood essence can be about twice that of an ordinary young adult, and you'll be less prone to illness in the future. The second step is to temper the skin into armor. This step consumes blood, requires medicinal plasters and hard training. Do not be impatient for success. If you only focus on consuming blood to gain strength without nourishing your body with blood essence, you'll easily develop internal injuries, shorten your lifespan, or even become disabled."

Qi Yu's gaze swept towards the tea table not far away.

Song Qinghong continued, "We'll forgo the formal disciple-accepting ceremony for now, but I will teach you without reservation. I only hope you will cultivate diligently."

With that, he began to explain the essentials of the Spirit Serpent Posture.

He described how to squat with fingers like a chicken's claws gripping the ground, and how to relax the soles of the feet like a duck or goose when in a prone stance.

He spoke of concentrating the mind, entering a state of tranquility, and using visualization to relax. He suggested finding an open space, climbing high to gaze into the distance, seeing mountains and the sea, which would naturally calm the mind.

He explained that during posture training, when myriad thoughts arise and are difficult to dismiss, one could examine oneself, repeatedly adjusting any discomfort. Alternatively, one could let them come and go naturally, accepting all and letting go of all. If truly unable to control them, one could visualize their mind entering a furnace, with distracting thoughts like dry leaves, to be burned from all directions as they arrived.

Qi Yu followed his instructions and assumed a half-horse stance, with Song Qinghong occasionally reaching out to adjust his posture.

After a short while, Qi Yu felt a slight tremor in his calves and thighs, and his waist and abdomen ached intensely, making it almost impossible to maintain the stance.

Seeing this, Song Qinghong waved his hand and said, "Take a break."

After a brief rest, he had Qi Yu stand again. This was repeated three times. Each time, Qi Yu only stood for a short period, but he was already sore all over as if his limbs were filled with lead, and his muscles felt as if they were being scorched by fire.

He gritted his teeth and prepared to stand for the fourth time...

Song Qinghong glanced at him and shook his head, saying, "That's enough for today. You can't force yourself in training, especially during the blood-activating stage. Pushing yourself will only harm your muscles and bones."

Qi Yu wiped the sweat from his forehead and asked, "Uncle Song, how was it for others during their first posture training?"

Song Qinghong replied, "Everyone's innate talent is different. Some are naturally suited and achieve a 'posture sense' immediately, standing steady as a pine tree, without fatigue. Others have vigorous blood essence and can stand for two incense sticks' worth of time on the first day, completing five rounds."

His tone was blunt, as if he were trying to dispel any "whimsical notions" the young master might have, to make him face reality, and to understand that martial arts were for strengthening the body, not for combat, to avoid forcibly training and causing injuries that could lead to disaster.

Those who swim well can drown in water. If you don't know how to swim, you won't go into the water, and thus it's difficult to drown.

Similarly, people who don't practice martial arts won't rashly fight others. But if one practices half-heartedly and doesn't know their limits, that's truly a disaster.

Qi Yu asked again, "What about Song Xue?"

Song Qinghong said, "On her first day, she stood for one and a half incense sticks' worth of time, completing four rounds."

A hint of unwillingness appeared on Qi Yu's face.

Seeing that he intended to continue standing, Song Qinghong said, "Practicing martial arts is like brewing medicine; if the heat is insufficient, it only adds bitterness."

He pointed to the fur rug beside them. "Go lie down. Today, I'll have someone give you a hot compress. Take more medicinal packs with you when you go back. If you practice at home, apply a hot compress after you finish. Don't waste the medicinal packs; they can be used five times before being discarded."

Saying this, he called out loudly, "Song Xue, bring two hot compress medicinal bags!"

A moment later, a spirited young woman in fitted clothing ran in, carrying a cotton and linen medicinal bag in each hand. White steam wafted from them, carrying a faint medicinal aroma.

She glanced at Qi Yu, who was lying nearby, and hesitated slightly.

Song Qinghong said, "You were quite close when you were little, why are you so distant now?"

Song Xue snorted, "It's not like I want to be distant."

Despite her words, she moved behind Qi Yu, her two fingers forming a sharp point like an iron awl, and suddenly pressed down on the meridians behind his leg.

A sharp pain exploded!

Her fingertip slowly traced down the meridian, the pain surging like a tide.

Song Xue tilted her head to observe, expecting to hear the pampered Young Master Qi cry out in pain.

But she didn't...

Qi Yu swallowed his groans.

However, after a moment, a faint warmth arose from the numb area that had been pressed, as if the blocked blood essence had been suddenly cleared.

Song Xue then said with disappointment, "Slight stretching first, then a hot compress, will be more effective."

With that, she flipped her wrist, and two medicine bags were placed firmly on Qi Yu's waist and legs. The scorching heat seeped through the fabric into his muscles, causing the young man's spine to tremble.

Half an hour later.

Qi Yu departed.

Song Qinghong looked at the figure disappearing into the falling snow and said, "He wasn't quite like you described yesterday."

Song Xue replied, "I usually do stretching exercises with the female disciples. Why would a father ask me to stretch a man?"

A flicker of memory crossed Song Qinghong's eyes, and he hesitated to speak.

Suddenly, his gaze fixed, looking directly at his daughter.

Song Xue also looked up to meet his gaze.

Silence filled the room, broken only by the crackling of the charcoal fire.

The father and daughter stared at each other for a moment, then both blinked simultaneously.

Song Qinghong was the first to laugh, his laughter hearty.

Song Xue's eyes curved into crescents as she followed suit, "Dad, you're not thinking I'd say—since Third Master Qi owes you the favor of settling down and saving your life, I'll marry him, I don't care for him anyway, right?"

Song Qinghong roared with laughter, then his smile gradually faded, his expression turning solemn as he sighed, "In this vast Spirit Serpent Martial Hall, over the years, only your senior brother reached the Seventh Rank Penetrating Force realm. But he left and never returned. Now the hall has no successor...

You've practiced martial arts since childhood and have excellent talent, but I don't want you to spend your life amidst blades and swords, carrying such a heavy burden. The Qi family is powerful. If a marriage alliance can be formed, it would be a way out for you and for the martial hall."

A martial hall is only considered to have a successor when it has a Seventh Rank Penetrating Force realm cultivator.

And there are different levels within the Seventh Rank Penetrating Force realm. Only powerful Seventh Rank disciples can truly support the Spirit Serpent Martial Hall.

But there were none now.

The previous Seventh Rank disciple... disappeared after an incident. Many years have passed with no news, and it's impossible to know anything other than that he met a gruesome end.

Song Qinghong marrying his daughter to the Qi family was partly out of sentiment, and partly for the consideration of the martial hall.

On his way back to the manor, Qi Yu heard a commotion from a distance.

The carriage stopped briefly, and he glanced out to see two groups of people shoving each other. One side was in chaos, shouting and cursing, saying, "This is our Black Tiger Gang's territory. If you want to hand out Peace Umbrellas, go somewhere else."

The other side stood in neat rows, their expressions devout. They were followers of the Umbrella Sect, holding large black umbrellas in the snowy weather, repeatedly chanting phrases like, "Heavy snow falls, hold black umbrellas, stay safe."

Qi Yu leaned forward slightly and instructed, "Take a detour."

The carriage wheels rumbled as they traveled another half a mile.

They passed a teahouse.

The carriage curtain was not lifted, and the person upstairs did not look at the passing carriage.

On the second floor of the teahouse, with the window half-open, a figure in bright red sat alone.

Master Chen was sipping tea, his teacup turning gently, reflecting a faint gleam in his eyes.